Linkage having l-shaped connecting pins



Dec. 9, 1969 H. J. EAST 3,482,394

LINKAGE HAVING L--sHAPED CONNECTING PINS Filed March 18, 1968 United States Patent C U.S. Cl. 59-80 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An articulated bracelet linkage comprising three or more directed rows of hollow open-ended bricks positioned with their open ends directed laterally of the bracelet and with the bricks of one row staggered in relation to those of an adjacent row. The bricks are hinged together by L-shape pins inserted through the hollow bricks so that a pair of pins combine to form a rectangle with the longer limb of one pin passing through a brick of an intermediate row of bricks, and the longer the limb of the other pin passing through the next hollow brick in said intermediate row of bricks. The shorter limbs of the pins close the ends of the bricks at the bracclet edges. The bricks are secured to the pins by forming the latter with serrations and pasing the bricks thereagainst to bond them to said pins.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to articulated bracelets and has for its primary object the provision of a bracelet in which the elements of the bracelet comprise hollow bricks which are interconnected by pins in such a manner as to avoid solder connections, and also Vby which the required flexibility of the bracelet is obtained.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to this invention there is provided an articulated bracelet comprising preferably three or more rows f circumferentially directed hollow open-ended bricks having their open ends directed laterally of the bracelet, the bricks of one row being staggered in relation to those of an adjacent row so that the bricks of one row are offset to those of an adjacent -row by a distance equal to one half of the length of a brick, whereby the hollow interior of the centre row of bricks opens at its ends into two adjacent bricks of the rows on either side thereof, the bricks of said rows being interconnected by L shape pins adapted to rnake locking engagement with the inner faces of the bricks, and arranged so that each closes by its shorter limb the laterally directed opening of a brick in an outer row of bricks and has its longer limb passing through one half of the interior of a brick of the centre row of bricks, the other half of the interior of the brick of the centre row being occupied by the stem of a pin introduced through a brick of an outer row of bricks at the other side of the bracelet, the head of this second-mentioned pin closing by its shorter limb the laterally directed opening of the said brick at the other side of the bracelet.

The said bricks are preferably secured to the pins by forming the latter with serrations on one or other or both of their side faces, and then pressing said bricks on to the serrated faces of the pins so that the bricks become bonded to the pins.

When both faces of each pin are serrated, then the walls of bricks both at the inside and outside of the bracelet become bonded to the pins.

The connection between the pins and the bricks is such that the bracelet possesses the necessary exibility as to ICE enable it to be flexed and shaped around the wrist of a USel'.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIGURE l is a perspective view of a fragment of a bracelet, showing the staggered arrangement of the bricks. FIGURE 2 is a horizontal section showing how the bricks are interconnected.

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view from below of one of the connecting pins, and

FIGURE 4 is a section drawn to a larger scale and taken transversely through a finished bracelet.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to the drawings, the bracelet linkage cornprises three or more rows, A, B and C, of circumferentially `directed hollow open ended bricks 1 having their open ends directed towards the side edges of the bracelet.

As clearly shown in FIGURE 1, the bricks of adjacent rows are staggered, i.e. the Vbricks of one row overlap or bridge those of an adjacent row by one half the length of a brick. The overlapped hollow bricks provide means in the form of passages extending from one side of the linkage to the other.

Bricks arranged in the manner illustrated in FIGURE 1, are interconnected by L-shape connecting pins 2 which are admitted through the passages formed by the overlapped links. The pins are formed on either their undersides or uppersides or on both sides with means adapted to -make locking engagement with the interior faces of the bricks. Said means are a multiplicity of serrations 3.

Referring particularly to FIGURE 2, it will be noted that the bricks of the row C are fitted with keys 2 and the heads 4 of these keys completely till the open ends of the bricks, and the stems of these keys or pins pass through the interior of the bricks in the centre row B which, as explained, are staggered in relation to the bricks in the outer rows C and A, and then into the hollow bricks of row A.

The bricks in the row A at the other side of the bracelet are likewise fitted with keys or pins 2 and the heads 4 of the pins in the bricks of row A are oppositely directed to the heads of the keys in the row C so that the stems of the keys or pins passing through oppositely positioned bricks in the rows A and C pass one through one brick of the intermediate row B and the other thorugh the interior of an adjacent brick in said row B.

In the above manner the hollow bricks of all three rows A, B and C are hingedly interconnected so as to enable the bracelet to be flexed around the wrist of a wearer, the spaces within said bricks being almost iilled by portions of the pins.

After the keys have been fitted in position, the inner faces of the bricks, that is the faces which are directed towards the wrist of a wearer, are pressed on the serrated faces of the contained connecting pins or keys (assuming the serrations are formed solely on the lower faces pins or keys (assuming the serrations are for-med solely on the lower faces of the pins), and a slight curvature is imparted to the inner face of the bracelet, as indicated in FIGURE 4, and the bricks become permanently bonded to the keys, the material of the bricks entering the serrations and the edges of the latter entering the material of a brick so that a perfect bond is achieved between both the key or pin and a brick.

If desired, both the lower and upper faces, or only said upper faces, of the connecting pins or keys 2 may be serrated.

By interconnecting the bricks in the manner described, the resulting bracelet possesses the required axibility to adapt itself to the curvature of a wearers wrist.

Although the invention has been described with reference to three rows of bricks, which is regarded as being the minimum number of rows of bricks practicable, it is to be appreciated that the .bracelet may comprise more than three rows of Ebricks which are arranged in side -by side relation and extend circumferentially around a wearers wrist.

I claim:

1. An articulated bracelet linkage comprising two outer and at least one center rows of circumferentially directed hollow, open-ended, mutually discrete bricks having their open ends directed laterally of the linkage, the bricks of one row being staggered in relation to those of an adjacent row so that the bricks of one row are offset in a circumferential direction to those of an adjacent row by a distance equal to one half of the length of a brick, whereby the hollow interior of each brick of the centre bricks opens at its ends into two adjacent bricks of the rows on either side thereof to provide pin-admitting means in the form of passages extending from one side to the other of said linkage, the bricks of said rows being interconnected by L shape pins received in said passages. said pins having surface means adapted to make locking engagement with the inner faces of the bricks, each said pin closing, by its shorter limb, the laterally directed 25 opening of the brick at one end of its passage and having 4 its longer limb passing through, at one end thereof, the hollow interior of the brick or bricks located centrally of its said passage, the other end of the hollow interior of said centrally located brick or bricks being adapted to be occupied by the stem of a next adjacent one of said pins, said next adjacent pin, when in place, closing by its shorter limb the laterally directed opening of the said brick at the other end of said last mentioned passage at the other side of the linkage.

2. A bracelet as claimed in claim 1, wherein said surface means on said pins comprises serrations formed on at least one of the side faces of each pin so that, by pressing the bricks on to the serrated faces of the pins, the bricks become bonded to the latter.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 230,745 s/lsso Church 59-81 1,830,188 11/1931 Bellavance 59-80 FOREIGN PATENTS 949,909 9/ 1956 Germany. 332,247 10/ 1958 Switzerland.

F. BARRY SHAY, Primary Examiner 

